WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Inspectors with a government contractor found veterans were harmed at nursing homes run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in over two dozen states, USA Today reported Thursday.

The inspections, conducted at roughly 100 VA facilities, found issues resulting in "actual harm" to patients in 52 facilities, according to USA Today.

Inspectors found issues in three facilities that put veterans' health and safety in "immediate jeopardy," the newspaper reported, citing reports from the inspections conducted from April through December of last year.

The facilities found to cause harm are in 25 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

More than 40,000 veterans are housed in VA nursing homes, according to U.S. political website The Hill.